Main menu

Post navigation

now that i’ve come out of the closet

Confession is so good for the soul — it feels good to have everything out in the open. Thanks for sticking with me.

I read a post the other day over at Alt-Market.com regarding the upcoming societal collapse. While the author made some interesting points, he was rather harsh in his approach, and I believe he left out some important preparations we need to make in order to not only endure, but endure well what appears to be in our future. So what’s on my list? I’m glad you asked. I’m by no means an expert, but I hope the things that I have learned over the last several years will be of worth to someone. I can’t cover everything in one little post, but you can at least start thinking about it.

Make God part of your life — There is a God, and He is in control. If you haven’t yet established a relationship with Him or if you feel like your relationship is lacking, work on it. It’s like any other relationship, it takes work. Everyone comes to know God in a different way — do what you need to do — read the scriptures, pray, meditate, go to church, serve others. He is the only one that will be able to grant us peace when everything falls apart.

Take personal inventory — If there is anything in your life that you’re doing that you know is not right, stop it. Easier said than done, I know. Maybe you have a hidden addiction, maybe you struggle with anxiety or control issues, maybe you’re just a jerk. Whatever it is, take the steps to be at peace with who you are. I know that life is going to get hard. Drop the baggage now so you will be able to focus on the really important things when the time comes. Oh, and don’t forget your physical self as well. If you’re carrying a bit too much weight (this includes me) work on getting it off. Increase your level of physical fitness. Who knows what our bodies are going to be required to do. Get a jump start.

If you’re married, make sure you and your spouse are a team — Similar to the last recommendation. If you and your spouse are struggling, work it out. Be there for each other.

Have some food storage — Most Americans have less than a week’s worth of food on site. The last place I want to be when the world comes to an end is Wal-mart. You’ve seen the video clips of people getting trampled on Black Friday over televisions and scooters. Can you imagine what it will be like when food becomes scarce? If you have some money stashed away spend it now on some food. Money will not help you if there isn’t any food to buy. If you don’t have any extra money, find it (in your own budget, not your neighbor’s pocket of course). I feel like we’ve been really blessed temporally. We don’t have money to throw around, but we have sufficient for our needs and some of our wants. That being said, we’ve definitely had to make sacrifices to build up our food storage. If you don’t have food stored and you don’t feel like you have the money, ask yourself is there something you can do without right now to ensure that you will have what you need in the future.

Make sure you have some water — I’ve heard people say that in a pinch, you can drink the water out of your toilet. I don’t really care to get pinched. Lucky you if you live somewhere that has flowing creeks and underground springs. We live in the desert. Yeah, not so lucky. A couple of water bottles isn’t going to do it — not even a case. You’ve got to think big. If you have the space, 55 gallon barrels are the way to go. If you don’t have the space, get what you can. Make sure that you also have a means of water purification.

Have a gun and know how to use it — Not too long ago I said, “I never want to have a gun in my home.” Then it changed to, “I hope I never live in a time where I feel like I need a gun in my home.” Now it’s “I’m really glad we have a gun in our home.” Having one is not enough. Make sure you know how to use it and care for it. Make sure you teach your children how to respect and use guns. Oh, and don’t forget the ammunition. Guns aren’t quite as useful with out it. Ammunition is hard to find right now, and I really don’t think it will get much easier. I hate to say this, but good luck.

Make sure you have quality shoes and clothing that will last — Don’t be stingy in this area. All of the adults in our family have good, high quality hiking boots. It’s crazy to buy super expensive boots for the kiddies, so we went the Goodwill route. We’re lucky, every other Saturday is half off day. We have boots in a variety of sizes for the kiddies. I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than $3. I’m talking $80 boots here (who pays $80 for kids boots?). Same thing goes for clothes. I love my Old Navy jeans. They fit perfectly, but let’s be honest, my second hand, not very cute Levis are going to last way longer. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to care that my jeans don’t fit quite right when the world is falling down around me.

Don’t forget sanitation —We all poop, be prepared to dispose of it properly. I might add for your own comfort, have a stock of toilet paper on hand. Just saying.

Grow a garden — Canned food will keep you alive, but eventually, it will run out. What will you do then? There’s a learning curve that comes with gardening. One of the reasons we started a garden now was to get higher up on that curve before our survival depended upon it.

Build a community — None of us is going to be able to do this alone when the time comes. Find people that share your views or that are at least open to your views. Barter your skills and goods. Better yet, just be nice and offer to help. I’m a big believer in karma. About a month ago, Greg and Thomas went around the neighborhood sharing zucchini with anyone and everyone. Within a couple of days, we had peaches, nectarines, onions, and seeds.

There you have it. Ask another prepper and you’d probably get a different list. That’s why it’s so important to have your own list. This should give you a good start. Our list is constantly evolving. There are still things we want to add, but if the end of the world came tomorrow, we wouldn’t be in a state of utter panic. How nice is that. I’d love to know what you’re doing to prepare.

Share this:

Like this:

Related

2 thoughts on “now that i’ve come out of the closet”

Thanks for posting this article. My mom and I have been doing a lot of research on being prepared for the coming economic collapse. Mom’s been researching the issue from a financial perspective and is working to pay off the debt we owe. I’ve been working to plan out a ‘survival garden’ in hopes of providing everything we normally would eat, plants that provide the most nutrition, as well as a few things that would just be nice to have. My Dad and brothers work to help those in the community who in turn provide us with woodworking tools, assistance with big projects, and word-of-mouth advertising of our services that woudl help others too. My sister works to make crocheted hats adn slippers and afgans for the elderly and new mothers in the community as well as those on the mission field. Like you guys, we believe in working hard not just for our family but for those who may not have the ability to provide for themselves in the event of a crisis.